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WASHINGTON, Aug 6 The US Department of Defense announced its support for the Philippines in connection with the aggravation of the situation in the Nansha Islands (Spratly Islands) disputed with China, condemning the actions of Beijing .
«We stand with our Filipino allies in condemning China's efforts to obstruct legitimate operations in Second Thomas Shoal (Spratly Islands — ed.),» Pentagon spokesman Patrick Ryder said on Twitter.
Ryder added that the US remains committed to the US-Philippines alliance, calling it «iron.»
The Philippine Coast Guard released a statement on Sunday condemning the Chinese Coast Guard's use of water cannons against Philippine vessels in the disputed Ayungin shallow waters in the South China Sea.
Gan Yu, spokesman for China's Maritime Police Administration, said on Sunday that China is calling on the Philippines to immediately stop illegal activities in the maritime area of the disputed Nansha (Spratly) Islands. According to Gan Yu, whose words are quoted on the website of the Office, two cargo ships and two ships of the Coast Guard entered the territorial waters of the Nansha Islands (Spratly) on August 5 without receiving permission from China. It is noted that China has undeniable sovereignty over the Nansha Islands and the adjacent waters.
For decades, China has been arguing with several countries in the Asia-Pacific region over the territorial ownership of a number of islands in the South China Sea, on the shelf of which significant hydrocarbon reserves have been discovered. We are talking about the Xisha archipelago (Paracel Islands), the Nansha (Spratly) and Huangyan Islands (Scarborough Reef). Vietnam, Brunei, Malaysia and the Philippines are involved to varying degrees in this dispute.
The situation in the region is often complicated by the passage of US warships, which, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, violate international law and undermine China's sovereignty and security. Despite protests from Beijing, official Washington stated that the United States would sail wherever international law allows.